One Ripple in Time
by drgemini86
Summary: Just as Daniel accepts that his Sam can never love him, another Sam shows him otherwise. Set in Ripple Effect. Written for the 2008 SamDanielthon. SamDaniel
1. Chapter 1

_**One Ripple in Time, by DrGemini86 (DrGemini24)**_

_**Summary: **__Just as Daniel accepts that his Sam can never love him, another Sam shows him otherwise. Set in Ripple Effect, and written for the 2008 Sam/Daniel-thon. SamDaniel_

_**Pairing: **__SamDaniel, SamJack-ish_

_**Rating: **__T_

_**Category: **__New Romance_

_**Genres: **__A/U, Angst, Drama, Episode-related, Friendship,Relationship-focussed, Romance-focussed, Tragedy, Thoughts_

_**Spoilers: **__seasons 1-9_

_**Prompt: **__"Ripple Effect: Daniel finds one of the AU Sams in his quarters."_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel left alternate-Janet's holding cell, his mind a flurry of thoughts and memories of nightmares. Seeing her had intensified his guilt, knowing now for sure that he could have saved her on P3X-666, but hadn't reacted in time... leaving Cassie an orphan once again. He took a deep breath to maintain his composure, and smiled and nodded in greeting at the different Mitchells, Daniels and Teal'cs from the other universes. No Sams of course, as all the Sams were currently working with his Sam to come up with a solution that would result in everyone going back to their respective universes.

Nodding in greeting at a Lorne that had come with one of the teams, Daniel scoffed inwardly at the thought of 'his' Sam as he had just referred to her as. She could never love him because she was pining after Jack. True, nothing had happened between his two best friends, but it could. Any day now... Right. As each day passed by, growing into months and years, he knew nothing would happen. It was like a stand-off of sorts... who would let their guard down first and surrender. Sometimes he wondered why he couldn't have fallen for someone who wasn't military.

He had given up on her long ago, shortly after recovering his memories. She had plainly said that they were friends and only friends on Vis Uban, and he decided to keep it that way. She obviously hadn't wanted any more than that. She was a strong woman so surely she would have done something about it if she had wanted more... right?

He sighed, feeling a growing headache as old pains and aches resurfaced. No matter what the universe, Sam would never be his. The Teal'c of the first alternate team that they had encountered had said that their Sam had rejoined SG-1 during the Ori threat after her honeymoon but hadn't revealed who the lucky man had been.

As his headache grew, he was glad that he hadn't pressed further with that line of questioning. It would have been too much if that Teal'c had suddenly referred to her as 'Colonel O'Neill'. The very thought sent chilling shivers down his spine. It just seemed so wrong for some inexplicable reason.

Inwardly grumbling at his own neuroses as well as his headache, he went to his quarters to get some aspirin, not wanting to disturb Carolyn, who already had her hands full with twenty or so SG-1s wandering about the base without having to deal with a grumbling, neurotic Archaeologist from her own universe.

Sighing, he entered, not bothering to put the light on as he went straight to his nightstand to get a canister of pills. He paused in shock, his heart hammering in his chest on hearing a voice... Sam's voice.

"Hello, Daniel."

He blinked and asked, his brow furrowing in confusion, "Sam?"

He switched the bedside lamp on and then gaped on seeing Sam – a Sam – sat on the edge of his bed, clutching a pillow to her stomach as she held a photo. His natural concern taking precedence on seeing that she appeared drawn, he kneeled in front of her and asked,

"Are you ok? Do you want me to call Doctor Lam?"

She shook her head, whispering as she looked straight at him, still holding on to the pillow, "No... I'm fine... I just had to get away from everything out there."

Even more concerned, he got up to close the door and sat next to her, saying as his headache began to fade now that he had something else on his mind, "It's overwhelming, isn't it?" He looked down at his hand, sighing quietly. "All those different realities, different versions of how things could have been..."

He noticed a plain gold band on the ring finger of her left hand as she discreetly put down the photo she had been holding, and he asked, "Who's... who's the lucky man?"

Not looking at him, she replied softly, holding the pillow tighter, "He's dead."

Surprised and feeling awkward, he said, "Oh." He paused. "I'm sorry." He paused again. "How did it happen?"

She said, sniffing back tears, "He sacrificed himself... always thinking of everyone else but himself. He took the staff weapon blast that had been aimed at Janet on P3X-666. He saved her so she could finish stabilising Airman Wells and take him back through the 'gate." Her voice wavered with emotion as she began to tremble. "There was big funeral on base for him... Airman Wells named his daughter after him."

Now feeling even worse that someone else had saved Janet in another universe, he slowly put an arm around her in a gesture of comfort, and she sniffed again, now sobbing as she said, her head resting on his shoulder as though it belonged there, "I miss you each day, Daniel."

He froze in shock and then was about to shrug it off when she continued, "You always gave... you gave me so much more than I ever gave you... I never even had the chance to say goodbye to you."


	2. Chapter 2

As he held the sobbing alternate version of his friend in his arms, he stared down at her, stunned and incredibly shocked at the prospect of what she had implied. Not only was he dead in her universe... they had been married. They had been a couple. It just seemed to be so surreal after experiencing universes, including his own, with varying degrees of Sam and Jack, from attraction to marriage.

And she even seemed sad that he was gone from her life.

Sad too at her pain as well as the missed opportunities in his own life, he held her tighter, taking the pillow from her. He smoothed the back of her head as he rested his cheek against her hair. She almost winded him when she put her own arms around him, hanging on for dear life as he doubted surviving the hour and briefly wishing he had updated his Will recently.

As he held her, he noticed the photo face down on his bed. Still holding her, he picked it up, dreading what he might see as he turned it over. He paused, almost gaping in shock on seeing him – his alternate self – and her grinning from ear to ear as they sat in what looked to be his backyard, holding a fair-haired toddler in between them as his alternate self leaned over to kiss this Sam.

She had stopped sobbing by then and somehow turned in his hold to look at the picture herself. She instinctively leaned in his embrace, saying with a small smile, "Claire Carter-Jackson. She'll be four next month." Her smile faded. "It wasn't long after this picture was taken that you left us."

Stuck for words to say, he replied, "I'm sorry."

She exhaled and then chuckled briefly. "You always felt guilty for everything... how you perceived that you hadn't done as much as you could have in each situation." She sniffed back more tears. "After everything that you had achieved, everything you did for this galaxy, there was no-one to save you when you needed it the most. In hindsight, when you ascended, at least you had the Ancients. I hated the year you were gone... but this is so much worse... the rest of my life without you. Claire's never going to know her father... what a wonderful man he was. She still asks for you..." she sighed. "I was twelve when I lost Mom and that was hard, and you'd lost your parents when you were eight. She's so young. We both never wanted her to experience the pain and the loss that we both had. God... I need to get home... I'm all she has now."

He slowly released her as she sat up, looking at him as he gazed at her in sadness, feeling guilty for events he had no bearing on. She asked,

"What about you and your Sam? I take it you're not together... her face on seeing Martouf again was..." she raised her eyebrows briefly "... telling."

Surprised, he asked, having been in Janet's holding room while Sam had encountered the Tok'ra, "Martouf came with you?"

She shook her head. "No... the desert camouflage team."

"Oh." He sighed, realising that it was the same team that Janet had been on, and she asked quietly, noticing how subdued he appeared, "Where's Janet here? There was someone else in the Infirmary."

He nodded and then finally met her gaze. "She died on 666. Exactly the same circumstances as your Janet as well as the desert camouflage... except I couldn't save her." He closed his eyes, swallowing past a lump in his throat... or at least trying to. "She'd just finished stabilising Airman Wells when a stray staff blast caught her." Shocked, she held his hands and said, knowing her Daniel very well,

"It wasn't your fault... it was an accident."

"I could have saved her. Your universe and the, uh, desert camo universe show that."

"That still doesn't make it your fault." She looked as though she was going to hug him but then hesitated, holding back as she sternly told herself that this man wasn't hers.

He nodded sceptically and then asked, "Do you want to go back to the other Sams?"

"In a minute."

Before he could react, she kissed him on the lips. Shocked, he gently pushed her away, saying, a little breathless, "I'm not him, Sam... I... I've got to go."

Forcing himself to get up, he was about to go when she followed him and said, stopping him as he reached for the door handle, "Daniel, please."

He, his eyes on the door, said, her hand on his shoulder, "I can't... here, you're pining after Jack. I... I'm sorry." He made to open the door when she remarked scornfully,

"Still? I know she's technically me but surely she must have realised long ago that Jack isn't worth holding on for?"

He turned to face her in surprise, and she said, smiling despite the pain her eyes, "Just talk to her... when this is all over and we all eventually get home, tell her how you feel. My Daniel was coerced by Martouf... well, Lantash, who'd spotted things that no-one else had."

He shook his head. "Well... my Sam's different. She's... she only sees me as a friend."

"That's because she doesn't know how you feel, Daniel." She sniffed. "My Daniel... whatever the universe, you're so unsure of yourself. For once, fight for her. Why do you think nothing happened between your Sam and your Jack despite those other universes? If either of them had really wanted it, they wouldn't have let the regulations stand in their way, believe me... especially Jack." She looked at him closely. "You're so alone... it hurts me, especially as I know that you have so much love to give and to share. Don't let anything hold you back."

She caressed his jaw as he, his back against the door, gazed at her, a mixture of fear, pain and lost dreams in his eyes. Maintaining eye contact for a moment, she slowly kissed him as he instinctively shut his eyes, his senses reeling.


	3. Chapter 3

After a small skirmish aboard the Prometheus with the black SG-1, and after Sam with some patronising technical support from Kvasir, had come up with a way to send everyone back to their universes, Daniel and the rest of SG-1 stood in the gateroom after the black team had gone back, seeing off the rest of the teams. All the while, he kept glancing at Sam for a sign – even the smallest – that that Sam had been telling the truth.

The second to last team to leave was a team in civilian clothes; said team comprising of Cam, Sam, Teal'c, and Jonas Quinn, the four having been on their way back from an undercover mission prior to the convergence. As SG-1 stared in surprise, the alternate SG-1 in guarded amusement as an embarrassed Landry and several gateroom personnel turned away out of awkwardness, alt-Sam, remembering earlier in Daniel's quarters, hugged Daniel tightly and kissed him. This time, he returned her kiss as he hugged her just as tightly.

They gazed at each other as alt-Jonas raised an eyebrow at alt-Cam and alt-Teal'c, and Daniel said, glancing up at the 'gate as he still held her, not seeing the stunned reactions of his friends, "You've got to be there for Claire." He kissed her again. "Give her a kiss from me."

She remarked with an affectionate smile as she memorised every detail of his face, "Like you had to say anything." She patted her pocket. "And thanks for the photos of your SG-1."

He smiled back at her, replying, "Likewise. Take care out there, ok?"

He touched her jaw affectionately and then looked up at the control room. A moist-eyed Walter, who had just blown his nose into a handkerchief, nodded, and began to dial the 'gate. Daniel reluctantly let her go as the rest of the team said their farewells, alt-Sam slipping an arm around his waist.

As chevrons locked, she murmured, "Daniel?"

He glanced at her. "Yeah. I didn't forget."

"You'll be too embarrassed to do it." She smiled slightly as she glanced at Sam who was trying to keep her features neutral. "... I hope she gets jealous enough to do it in that case." She smiled as he reddened, and she patted him on the small of his back as the wormhole established and alt-Cam remarked,

"Well... it's been nice..." He patted Daniel on the shoulder as alt-Sam finally let him go. "It was enlightening finally getting to meet the legend that is Daniel Jackson. Sam doesn't stop talking about you... and now I have a story to tell my SG-niece when she's old enough."

Alt-Teal'c then engulfed the Archaeologist in a hug, saying, "You have been greatly missed, DanielJackson... and it is sad that you will not witness your daughter grow into a beautiful and strong woman."

As alt-Teal'c let him go, alt-Jonas shook Daniel's hand and said with a spooked smile, still not used to being around a man who was dead in his universe, "It was nice seeing you again, Doctor Jackson."

Daniel nodded and alt-Cam called, after he and alt-Sam saluted Landry, the former Colonel walking up the ramp, "Batter up, team."

As the alternate team walked up the gateramp, alt-Sam glancing at Daniel with a small smile, Cam remarked as he patted the Archaeologist's shoulder, this Colonel glancing at an awkward looking Sam and a smirking Teal'c, "Now that was funky. What was that?"

Daniel murmured distractedly as the wormhole disengaged after the alternate team had gone through, "Something."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy when the desert camouflage team that the alt-Janet was on, waited for the 'gate to dial in the gateroom and their Martouf had kissed Sam on the cheek. He mentally shook himself and heard Sam ask the Tok'ra with a shy smile,

"Just out of curiosity, where did I go?"

Alt-Martouf looked awkward, appearing to be reluctant to answer the question as he looked away, and alt-Janet replied as she approached Sam, exchanging a little knowing smile with the other Daniel, "Maternity leave."

Daniel's eyebrows shot up and as he began to wonder, alt-Daniel looked at him briefly and smiled slightly, raising his eyebrows ever so slightly. It was then that Daniel realised... and he tried to remain casual as he thought of how it was possible for Sam to love him in return. He glanced down for a moment to hide a smile as alt-Janet and Sam hugged.

He then remembered what he was supposed to do and picked up a yellow case as Landry informed the other team that they were going to give them the cure to the Ori plague. Daniel opened up the case to show the stunned alternate team its contents before closing it and nodding at alt-Cam, who took the case from him as alt-Janet thanked Landry.

He looked at alt-Janet, remembering how he hadn't been able to save her but was now closer to putting it into more of a philosophical context thanks to the Sam from the previous team, and he hugged her tightly, saying softly as he willed himself not to cry, "It's good to see you again."

"You too."

Trying hard not to look in Sam's direction, he let alt-Janet go slowly, smiling at her, glad that somewhere she was still alive and delivering high quality medical care, dedication and compassion... even if it wasn't in his universe. He watched as Teal'c hugged her too, and wondered idly if Kvasir would agree to clone her.

The team departed, alt-Martouf the last to join the team as he said a farewell to Sam, glancing a little uneasily at Daniel as said Archaeologist wondered whether the Tok'ra knew that he had briefly considered shooting him out of jealousy in the past five minutes.

When the wormhole had disengaged, a smirking Landry leaving the gateroom as the gateroom personnel disarmed, Cam and Teal'c immediately turned to an embarrassed Daniel as an awkward looking Sam turned away, and Teal'c remarked,

"It would appear that DanielJackson is happy in at least one universe."

Cam glared for a moment. "And dead in one... let's just ignore that for now." An arm around Daniel as Teal'c walked by their side, Cam turned to Sam and noticed her composure. He smiled slightly, making contact with Teal'c for a moment and then said,

"_Samantha_, are you going to stand in the gateroom all day or are you coming to the commissary for some quality..._" _he trailed off_ "... something_. I'm sure there's something there that won't shred your insides. Come on, girl._"_

Sam retorted with a shy smile as the team left the gateroom, "We'll just use you as the guinea pig."

As Cam made a face, Teal'c added with a slow smile, "Indeed."


	4. Chapter 4

Unable to sleep that night, Sam curled up on her couch, a blanket draped over her lower half as she wrote formulae down on a notepad... or at least tried to. The reasons for her insomnia were now impeding the task. She closed her eyes with an exasperated sigh and replayed the events of that day. There had been so many different teams, most of them dressed differently... many different versions of herself, who were all essentially reflections of herself. Even the determined version of herself from the black team that had caused the convergence.

What should have struck her the most, she thought, was seeing Martouf alive again, and she had sensed Lantash within him.

The mixed feelings she had about that were drowned out by a rather vivid repeat of the alternate Sam in civilian clothes kissing Daniel... and Daniel responding. It made her feel... as she thought more and more about it, the initial jealousy that she had felt grew sporadically. To even her own surprise, she felt as though it should have been her in her alternate counterpart's place.

She felt the whole thing to be odd too... how intimate Daniel had been in the gateroom with that other Sam. The last time she had seen him anywhere near as so was many years before... on Abydos with Sha're. That had been restrained due to cultural reservations about public displays of affection, but even so...

She was curious as to what happened between the time that that Sam had slipped out of the room that all the Sams were working in, and the time when an SF escorted her back after searching for her.

The whole situation began to make her face up to her own feelings for him once again. She sighed as she thought of the number of times she had almost told him, but held back because she didn't know how he would react. His friendship was more valuable to her, the Colonel having missed it greatly during her time in Nevada despite the many phone calls to and from Colorado Springs.

She exhaled as she looked up at the ceiling before deciding to relax and indulge in her thoughts, partly as a means to be able to sleep. She smiled slightly as she found herself imagining herself in that other Sam's place in the gateroom, slipping her arms around Daniel's neck, and then gazing up at him with a glowing smile.

On second thoughts, she didn't want to be that Sam. Despite what that Sam had done earlier, she didn't have Daniel in her life any more. The thought brought up some traumatic memories from her past, of losing Daniel so many times, and she began to cry quietly.

A knocking at the door shook her out of her thoughts and she quickly dried her eyes, wondering who it could be at that hour. Slipping her pyjama bottoms back on, she composed herself and then went to answer the door, pausing in surprise on seeing Daniel with a pizza box in his arms. She smiled slightly and he said, pushing his glasses up,

"Um... hi... Sorry about..." he paused on realising that she had been crying, and he asked, "What's up?"

Realising what he had noticed, she stood aside to let him in, replying softly, "Nothing." She followed him in the kitchen, watching as he put the pizza down, opening the box. "Daniel... you didn't have to."

He shrugged as he instinctively opened a cupboard with plates in it. "I figured you might need the company... it's a lot to take in."

She exhaled, raising her eyebrows briefly. "I'll say."

As she took bottles of beer out of the fridge, he asked, glancing at her, "Are you ok?"

She nodded, not replying and he looked increasingly concerned. They went to the lounge in silence, carrying plates and bottles, putting them down on the coffee table. He asked as they sat down, offering her a plate and disturbed on seeing the sadness on her face,

"How was it seeing Martouf again?"

She shrugged, replying softly as she looked down at the slice of pizza on her plate, neither eating, "It... it was good. I missed him."

Sensing that she needed comfort as she put her plate on the coffee table, looking preoccupied, he put his own plate down and pulled her into his arms. He murmured as he gently rubbed the top of her back,

"Sam... tell me what's wrong."

She shook her head against his shoulder and sniffed before straightening up, and she said, eventually smiled albeit in a strained way for a moment, "It was nice seeing Janet again."

He nodded, still concerned as he replied with a distant expression, "It was. At least she's out there somewhere doing her thing... and scaring the willies out of battle-hardened Jaffa and awkward Air Force Colonels alike."

She smiled. "I was thinking the same thing. Even Bra'tac admired her... and he's a tough crowd."

He smiled back at her as they both rested their heads against the back of the couch, looking at each other. He said as she reached for his hand,

"So many different possibilities."

"Yeah... it's interesting how one change, the same event with a different outcome... or just a tiny change can result in huge differences."

"A ripple effect."

She smiled at him. "I was thinking of the butterfly effect..."

"The flapping of a butterfly's wings causing a hurricane? It fits."

She chuckled. "Well... ripples work too... it's less dramatic... and it fits with aquatic descriptions of time."

He smiled. "Time stream."

Her smile faded and as he looked concerned once more, she asked, looking at him, "What happened today?"

Eventually realising that she was talking about his experience with the other Sam, he blushed, and replied with a shrug, looking down at the hand she still held, "Nothing much." He closed his eyes as he remembered alt-Sam's words, and he took a deep breath. He finally looked at her again and said quickly, the faintest trace of tears in his eyes,

"Sam... the other Sam made me face up to my feelings... for you... that it was possible for you love me." He paused but resumed before she could even process what he had said as he turned away from her. "Apparently we'd been married... and I'd died saving Janet on 666. We, uh... they have a daughter."

He took another deep breath and closed his eyes. He was about to say something else when she was suddenly at his side, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Feeling a sense of déjà vu in amongst his confusion, he asked, his mouth suddenly dry,

"Sam?"

When he finally saw her face, he saw that she was trying hard not to cry as she smiled and remarked, ruffling his hair affectionately, "Of course I love you." He looked sceptical. "You have no idea how many times I almost told you these past few years. So many times... I chickened out because I didn't think you'd actually feel the same way."

As an indescribable realisation came over him, he turned to her, caressing her cheek as he looked scared, and then he hugged her tightly, closing his eyes as she clung onto him. He whispered, now unable to stop himself from crying,

"I always thought you loved Jack."

"And I thought _you_ weren't aware of me as anything other than your friend."

They gazed at each other, finally noticing something that had been in each other's eyes, and they dried each other's tears. He hesitated still, unsure, when she smiled slightly and kissed him. Unlike his first time with the other Sam, he reacted almost instantly and gave her everything that she had given him and more as she held onto his shoulders.

Panting after the kiss, they rested their heads on each other's shoulders, still holding onto each other, and he said with a happy sigh as he played with her hair, "Guess what?"

She looked at him and he continued, "That wasn't the only universe with an 'us'."

She grinned on remembering something alt-Martouf had told her as well as remembering alt-Janet and alt-Daniel smile at each other in the gateroom. "I know." She blushed a little but still smiled. "Apparently I'm having your baby." She kissed him again. "Martouf told me... and apparently..." she slipped her arms around his neck as they gazed at each other, smiling coyly,

"... we have two other children as well. And then... that black team... double-crossing as they were... their you and their me had been on their honeymoon when _we_ were using the Mark IX. The Hazmat team's Cam is gay and has the hots for you, but Hazmat me and Hazmat you are an item..."

He looked bemused on remembering the Cam from the team dressed in Hazmat suits, and how that Colonel had smiled at him in a corridor. He smiled briefly, looking embarrassed. "You picked up a lot, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah... all small talk. You'd be surprised how many universes have an 'us'." On seeing his surprised and stunned expression, she remarked, "You thought it was just me and the General didn't you?" She cocked her head. "It's a big multiverse... so many possibilities and outcomes... and those teams were from universes closest to our own... which means..." They smiled at each other and kissed once more.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As Sam began to drift off in his arms later that night, after they had made love, he nuzzled her neck. She made a humming noise as she smiled and stretched in his embrace, and he whispered, "Do you want to see some photos from that other universe?"

She nodded and sat up as he looked for his jacket... finding it in a heap with some of her clothes. He reached into a pocket and then laid back down with her, drawing a blanket over their naked forms. He softly kissed her and gave her some photos. He held her in his arms as they looked through the photos, and she remarked with a sigh,

"Despite what happened afterwards... we look happy, don't we?"

He nodded as he held her tighter, and she put the photos down before burying her face in his chest and remarking, grief-stricken as she remembered losing him in the past, "What I hated the most about you being Ascended and semi-Ascended... was that I didn't know where you were, whether you were alright." She sniffed and released a shuddering breath. "I can't imagine losing you forever now. It would kill me."

He kissed her, whispering, "I can't promise anything but as long as I am able, as long as I have the choice, I will never leave you. I chose to leave after Kelowna... but I'm older and hopefully a little wiser now. My place is here."

They reflected over their words and the events of the day for a long moment before he said, stroking her shoulder, "I want you to have something."

She looked at him curiously and opened his hand to reveal a slightly scuffed and battered gold band, a little broader than the one the alternate Sam had worn. She frowned slightly as she looked at it, and he replied,

"That other Sam gave it to me."

"Daniel..."

"She wanted me to have it and I want you to have it." He kissed her neck and rested his head against hers. "It's only right."

She reluctantly accepted it and then said, looking at the ring, "I suppose it could be a symbol that despite your tendency to come back from the dead, you're still mortal." She kissed him gently, whispering her thanks before putting the ring in his hand. He frowned and then she held out her right hand for him. Smiling, he slipped the ring onto her middle finger, and she rested her hand on his chest, snuggling in his embrace as they both considered the future that lay before them now, the myriad possibilities.

– Fin

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are very welcome._


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